LONG DRIVE, GOOD TO BE HOME & BILLY DAY #3!!!!

Hi Y'all,

Just an update, I left my house in Vegas at 8am this morning (kinda late, had to sleep a bit more) and got to my grama's house @ 6pm. It was a 10 hour drive, b/c I stopped at EVERY single place possible and rested and strectched, etc....it was fun though and I'm REALLY proud of myself for donig it all by msyself! It was so nervewracking though, glad it's done for now......

my Uncle Bob and Aunt Rosemary drove down from Tahoe to help welcome me home, we all had dinner together and that was really WONDERFUL! It feels so GREAT to be home with my extended family, in a HUGE house (2,500sqft) and OFF the road! It was a REALLY, REALLY LONG DRIVE!!!!

Just wanted to let you all know that I made it safely and I'm having a GREAT time so far! Thanks for all of your love, support and prayers! Keep in touch!
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On a sidenote, six years ago today, (RIGHT this moment actuall) Billy Dean (my 2nd FAVORITE man on earth) serenaded ME, Sarah, on stage at the Nugget Casino in Sparks, Nevada!!! That's right, my lifelong crush and favorite male singer sang to ME, six years ago today on June 17, 1999!!! God, I can't believe it's been SIX years already! Time flies! You know, prior to having actual sex, Billy singing to me was the BEST five minutes of my LIFE! I listened to the song he sang to me a few times on the way up here from Vegas and oh my GOSH! How TOTALLY AWESOME! Even six years later, as an adult, it's just so freakin' cool! I mean really, how many people even get to MEET their idols, crushes, etc.....let ALONE have them sing to THEM, right in their eyes! Awww.....so sweet! Thanks Billy!!!! :)

My mom and I went out the other night and saw "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," and what a GREAT movie! Granted, it's a total chick flick, but totally enjoyable. And women of ALL ages will relate to it....it's really about a summer being your "rite of passage," like the summer where you go from being a little girl to a young woman.........really moving and funny and heartwarming! Girls, you GOTTA see it!!!

Anyhow, I was thinking as I sat there watching the movie about when my "rite of passage," summer was and incidently it was the summer of 1999. I was 15! Billy sang to me, I had female problems fixed and my OTHER crush at the time (longtime childhood friend) painted my house and drove me absolutely CRAZY (in a good way) for THREE whole weekends in a row! LOL! Yep, that was definately the summer I started becoming a young woman! And honestly, I think that's one of the reasons I STILL am celebrating Billy singing to me six years ago today...b/c in my mind, for me, in my life, that was really the LAST thing that happened to me as a totally innocent (almost) "little girl." About a month after Billy sang to me, I got my female problems corrected and corrected again and again again.....the point is, that, the summer of '99, was the start of it. It was the last time I TRULY felt innocent! Although, I've never felt YOUNG. I've always been older and wiser than my calendar age so even at 5 years old I remember feeling about 15. LOL! I feel young now though, young and knaive in LOTS of ways....that's why THIS trip, THIS summer of 2005, will be my OTHER "rite of passage," summer.....

Taking this LONG, LONG, LONG drive and roadtrip ALL by myself, on MY OWN, without help from mom or grama or (okay, they did help me $$$ wise-thank God) but, really, I've never been totally on my own on the open road! I packed up the car last night and it hit me "oh crap, I'm really doing this. Packing up my car and GOING, all by myself, 1100 miles a way from Vegas to Oregon and back again. Holy S***, what was I thinking?" LOL! I can laught about it 2nite b/c I'm here, safe and sound, but I wasn't laughin' last night. Mom and grama kept saying "you don't have to do this you know, it's your choice." The point is though, I DO have to do it. I feel like such an adult this past year with getting my own car and all (and it is MY car, in MY name), getting actual checks to write out for my bills, paying my mom rent, taking care of other children, etc....I'm becoming really responsible.....and there's a freedom in that. It's total freedom to be able to just pack up your car and GO! (LIke I'm doing right now) But, along with freedom comes responsibility...something that I think I'm getting better and better at......I've kinda been forced too.......but that's good, we all need that....

I'm not expecting TOO much from ANYONE else on this trip except myself. I don't expect this trip/vacation or whatever you want to call it to be the absolute BEST thing in my life. EVERYDAY CAN BE THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE if we look at it that way. Okay, even I don't look at it that way everyday, but y'all know what I mean! LOL! Anyhow, I'm not putting my happiness or excitement in other's hands....I KNOW that just like at home and the rest of my life, if I want this trip/vacation to be memorable, magical and exciting, I have to first SHOW UP for it, and then, MAKE it that way! So many times before in the past I've put my vacation happiness in others' hands, well, not anymore! This trip WILL be the experience of a lifetime, I'm excited to see what will happen and what I'll learn; not just about myself but also about my family and friends I see and get to know along the way! HOW AWESOME!

Anyhow, it's been a REALLY long day, and an EXTREMELY long week; before today, I babysat 11 hours a day from Mon-Thurs....so, I'm REALLY tired and I need to get up tomorrow to go see Mr. & Mrs. Towell & Baby Aspen and Karen and Donna & go to Wal-Mart, so I'm going to get going...BUT, I"ll try and write again VERY soon!

Once again, if you prayed for me, THANKS! If you haven't, please do!

LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST.....

Peace, Love, Happiness and

Many Blessings,
SL